Gospel Truth

05.20.12

Romans 1.16-17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” NASB

In the preamble of the Book of Romans is found a couple sentences that are well worth paying attention to: these are perhaps the seminal verses in all of Scripture explaining the intention and the relationship between God and man. Next to, “In the beginning God…” Romans 1.16-17 are two sentences with massive import and impact on the race of man. For what is the power of God for salvation if it isn’t the gospel?

Consider the fact that the gospel is the spoken word that changes men’s hearts. The very words of the gospel are merely sounds emanating from someone’s mouth that tell of the love of God in the Gift of Jesus Christ to all mankind. Someone speaks the truth about Christ, and that very speaking, when heard by someone else’s ears, is enough to change that hearer’s heart forever. That’s utterly amazing.

Gospel simply means “good news”. The good news is: God has sent a Savior to all men for them to be saved from their sin, rebellion, and impending death by simply believing in God’s Messiah (His anointed or sent one). Verse 16 says the power of God is demonstrated by the verbal transaction of someone speaking the good news and someone hearing and believing the good news. And the good news is accepted by faith in the mind and heart of the hearer. I think, no, I believe, God made it purposely that simple; it isn’t complicated, it isn’t difficult – it is simply hearing what God has done for us in His Son and believing it; and then living out the rest of our lives believing in it: belief, and belief in. That’s called faith.

And the power of God in hearing and believing the good news is that it changes us from death to life and from darkness (in our thinking) to light. So, in its initial stages, it is somewhat infantile in its acceptance, but as life in it continues then faith to believe God more and more comes in greater and greater stages of faith. The new believer may not initially completely understand the magnitude of the good news but as they continue in it, their faith grows and their maturity shows. That’s faith to faith.

And the righteous [one] shall live by [his] faith. His faith is his actions based on his belief in God, the Good News, and God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Faith for us is a life-long endeavor. It is both a one-time acceptance and then a life-long endeavor. Initial faith lays the foundation for faithful faith. A good house will only stand if it is built on a good foundation.

And for the believer the foundation for all belief is that Jesus Christ came from God to live on this earth setting an example for me of how to live in unbroken faith with God. That Jesus lived a perfect life and died a perfect death, taking upon Himself the penalty that was given to me through my sin, that I might not die but have eternal life in the presence of God simply by believing what God has done for me. And that Jesus rose from the grave conquering death and making a way for me to have this eternal life with God.

That’s the good news and everyone who believes it finds himself living in the power of God unto salvation… I’m in – you?